how do i breed my cal. kings...

[SSkingsnakeSS]

my kings are about 14 inches long and about a half inch in with. they may be too young to breed but i will need info anyway so i can breed them when they are older. i need to know everything... every little or big bit counts! i have two albinos, and one black and white banded. they stay in the same cage together except when they eat. they are extremely nice and tamed also.. please write back with any info you may have on breeding a california kingsnake

[BoidKeeper]

Have you tried doing a search on google to see what you come up with? If I were you I would start by doing some research first and then ask questions about what you don't understand.
These types of "Tell me everything I need to know" questions often rub members the wrong way because they come off as if you want other people to do your homework for you.
Generally you'll get a better response if you ask smaller specific questions about certain aspect of breeding or snake husbandry as a posed to very broad general question.
Cheers,
Trevor
PS
I see this is your first post, welcome to the site!

[capsicum]

Just out of curiosity, aren't kings cannibalistic? At least that is what I have always heard and have been told?

TK

[Tim_Cranwill]

Ditto...

I'm more than happy to offer you advice and tips but I'm not willing to write a 500 word post. Get the basics and come back with some specific questions. That's the easiest way for everyone involved.

:)

[DataRipper]

#1 kings will eat each other so Do NOT.. keep them in the same cage untill it is time to breed them and then take them right back out when they are done there stuff...and yeah do some reading about your sanke in general then find out how to breed them..
Just seems to me you are lacking the need to know stuff about you snake...

[marisa]

For one, they need seperate enclosures.

Kings DO eat other snakes, but there are far more important reasons to give them each their own enclosure.

Snakes ARE NOT SOCIAL. Most species live solitary lives their entire lives except for breeding time. They have NO use for companionship in any way shape or form.

If one gets sick, the others are automatically sick. No good breeder keeps stock in the same cages. It's risky, cheap and asking for trouble. If one regurgs how will you know which one? If one has bad crap, which one did it? You'll never be able to PROPERLY moniter your collection if it's all living in the same cage.

Another reason to seperate them is that there is not ONE good reason to keep them together. Not one. They have no buisness living in the same enclosure, rubbermaids cost 5 bucks a pop and heating pads cost less than 30, a workable heat controlling device can be made for cheap as well, or purchased. This hobby has no room for saving money, so start out right and get your kings their own enclosures now while you still can.

Take this as advice please, not an attack or anything. :) I am just trying to help you out. I love kingsnakes, they are my favorite snake species and you will also enjoy them very much, but you MUST keep them properly if you want to get all the wonderful things this species can offer which includes babies one day.

Marisa

[SSkingsnakeSS]

i keep them in the same cage and i have had them for about 2 months. they are cannibalistic but i dont think against other kingsnakes...with breeding them i know they need hot temps and a smaller amount of food...they also need no light for certain times at night...i guess the real question i wanted to know was that when are they ready to breed...they are 3 months now

[Tim_Cranwill]

Originally posted by SSkingsnakeSS
they are cannibalistic but i dont think against other kingsnakes...

Wrong.

[KMHerps]

LOL....do your reasearch buddy....

[marisa]

Yes unfortuantly you are wrong. Kings will GLADLY eat another kingsnake. I have no idea where you are getting this information but it's wrong. No offense, it's just that you are getting bad information.

"i know they need hot temps and a smaller amount of food"

I don't know what you mean by this either. Kingsnakes can take the same amount and size of prey as most other colubrids. They don't need "small" amounts of food.

As for hot temps, a hot spot of 84-88 works just fine. With a cool side of course.

As for breeding, they need to be large. Much larger than 3 months. You have a good three years ahead of you I'd say before you can attempt breeding.

Marisa

[hooter]

If you dont seperate them now you will learn the hard way. Way to many people come on these forums saying my snake ate my other snake and so on... It doesnt matter how long they have been together either. A guy not to long ago came on here and said his Cornsnake ate his other Cornsnake after they had lived together for over 2 years so it just goes to show you...

Please for the sake of the snakes do your research to correct these husbandry problems. I'm not trying to be mean but it seems you feel your way is right and your only concern is breeding when in fact you should be reading on basic care.

[BoidKeeper]

Also she may become gravid before she is old/large enough and become egg bound and die. Happens all the time because keepers won't provide each snake with the proper care it needs.
Trevor

[zero&stich]

Not to repeat what was already said, but a local pet store in my area sells all sorts of local kings and every king is in its own cage. They are many useful books out there for literature. I suggest reading book(s) first to get the basic ground knowlege then you could search the net on caresheets. This way, you can determine whats good info vs bad on the web.

[gonesnakee]

I too recomend keeping all your snakes seperately irreguardless of species. Stress & health issues aside, eggbinding a young female will risk her life & possibly ruin her for future breeding & cannibalism is a very real factor. CKs kill other CKs all the time whether you realize it or not & as stated even the docile Corn has a repeated history of being cannibalistic. Young snakes are the most apt to be cannibals also so your snakes are all curently at high risk. Mark
P.S. as already stated a little research will take you a long ways in raising healthy happy snakes & eliminate senseless risks.

[HeatherRose]

they are cannibalistic but i dont think against other kingsnakes

There's something definately wonky with that statement. If you're cannibalistic, period, you will be towards your own species.

Thats like saying I'm a cannibal, but I'll only eat people with hair like Eric Estrada.http://www.pitbullforum.com/images/smiles/nanana.gif

[Jeff_Favelle]

with breeding them i know they need hot temps and a smaller amount of food

Wrong.

Time to invest in the Milksnake Manual.

[Tim and Julie B]

Actually an interesting piece of info. Their was an article about two years ago in reptile mag written by a large scale kingsnake breeder in the states and he always keeps them together and has never had any problems.........that I found odd. Personally I will not take my chances. Just thought I would share. TB

[Brent Strande]

Originally posted by HeatherRose
There's something definately wonky with that statement. If you're cannibalistic, period, you will be towards your own species.

Thats like saying I'm a cannibal, but I'll only eat people with hair like Eric Estrada.http://www.pitbullforum.com/images/smiles/nanana.gif

It's actually like saying I'm a cannibal, but I don't eat people! ;)

[Jeff_Favelle]

LOL Heather....then LOL Brent!

[Will]

Actually an interesting piece of info. Their was an article about two years ago in reptile mag written by a large scale kingsnake breeder in the states and he always keeps them together and has never had any problems.........that I found odd. Personally I will not take my chances. Just thought I would share. TB

I'm pretty sure that that was R. Applegate and that was the '02 or '03 Reptiles Annual Issue.

Not that I would keep them together either, but if anyone wants to read it, it's an interesting read...

[gonesnakee]

To play Devils Advocate I have met quite a few breeders who keep their groups of Cal-Kings etc. together year round & have been quite successful doing so, even in burmation, which is very risky IMHO due to the no food factor. I think the less risks the better myself & more often than not it is done just to save cagespace etc. Heck right away my Childrens Pythons will be put togehter for most of the winter (to be a hypocrit LOL) & I've never had any problems (touch wood) with them in the past. Mark

[hhw]

The San Diego zoo used to have a california kingsnake with 2 heads. It lived there for years, but eventually died when one head tried to eat the other. Now, obviously, being the same snake, it was kept "together" unavoidably for a long time with no problems. However, who knows why one head decided to eat the other all of a sudden.

Anyway, if a kingsnake is cannibalistic enough to the point where it will eat itself, it's obviously quite possible that it will eat its cagemate. I wouldn't keep snakes that strictly only eat rodents together, let alone snakes that eat other snakes.

[HumptyDumpty]

Yup yup at the age of thrteen i had 3 of these snakes. didn't know anything about the critters then either same cage they were allright for a while.
but one day I found one was really sick, no place that could handle a snake either so all I could do was seperate them but at that point it was to late the other 2 had caught it first one died others followed


And beyond that its simply cruel to keep them together they need space or they become very stressed

[Tyler99]

Here check this link out!

http://gallery.****************/index.php?photo=173518

[Tyler99]

Hmmm??? I cant get the link to work?

[HeatherRose]

The link doesn't work because we don't allow links to that site on ssnakess.com....do a search to find out why its starred out if you're curious...:)

[Tyler99]

Oh ok.

.